1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to vehicle safety devices and more particularly to a utilization controller for vehicle-borne communications devices to avoid distraction of the vehicle operator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of vehicle-mounted mobile communications devices has become widespread especially on dispatched service vehicles needing instructions, work orders, geographical directions, maps and other visual or aural data and on vehicles relying on location by satellite positioning systems.
The use of vehicle-mounted computers and other mobile communications devices such as mobile telephones, pagers, citizens' band (CB) radios, and various other types of information devices can easily be a distraction to the operator of the vehicle in which the devices are mounted when that vehicle is in motion. Such distractions may be so great as to be seriously hazardous. This is especially true when the devices require the vehicle operator's visual attention, reaction to an alarm condition, or other physical response.
Although sometimes necessary, in most instances it is truly unnecessary to operate such vehicle-mounted information devices while the vehicle is moving or is in a condition in which movement may be initiated inadvertently or with little conscious effort of the part of the operator. Thus, there is a need for a device to restrict a vehicle operator's ability to operate or even monitor the output of the mobile communications devices on the vehicle unless the vehicle is not moving and is in a “safe” stopped condition. The present invention provides a solution to this and other problems, and offers other advantages over previous solutions.